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Tuesday, February 7, 2012

We were in the mood for some steak, ribs and seafood...
It's been months since we last ate at Tony Roma's so having a hankering for some steak and ribs, we found ourselves getting a table and perusing the menu for something to feast our palates with. While waiting for our pabulum of choice, I cut a slim slice from the loaf of warm bread and gingerly slathered some melted butter on the surface before enveloping it in a bite. The bread's crust was firm but the baked dough was soft and light.

A thick slab of medium well steak etched with grill marks sits adjacent to a large portion of ribs, the skin of which is glistening and glowing under the lights, a manifestation of its oleaginous goodness. But while the ribs ooze with oil, the steak looks a bit dry. I sever a corner and I like what I see -- no blood. I hate seeing red in my steak contrary to what most steak connoisseurs plump for. I prefer my meat done well, but still tender to the bite. Despite its arid appearance though, the meat in this Steak and Ribs (P1,190) was juicy. The ribs, on the other hand, were full of smoky flavor with a trace of sweetness that is more of an afterthought.

Aside from two side dishes that come with the Steak and Ribs wherein I decided to go with scraped corn and coleslaw, it also comes with soup. I opted for the Pumpkin Soup and it gladly did not disappoint. A spiral of white cream (?) garnished with chopped chives is painted on the surface of this muted yellow liquid appetizer. Every spoonful carried with it so much flavor; the viscosity just the right amount of thickness that was neither chowdery nor watery. A whisper of sweetness, an inkling of saltiness and a portrayal of savory umami is depicted in every layer of this enticing and highly gratifying soup.

The steak in the Steak and Salmon (P1,210) was unfortunately rather rare for my liking. Isn't it frustrating when you're yearning for just that perfectly cooked steak and it comes to you under or over than what you have specifically asked for? Returning it to the kitchen won't even guarantee that it will finally get back to you the way you want it to be. The saving grace for this particular dish was the grilled salmon with its pinkish-orange-ish flesh charred with diagonal blemishes from the grill. The fish was packed such robust flavor even sans any dipping sauce.

The Ocean Feast (P1,710) comprises several treasures of the sea -- deep fried shrimps, fillets of fish, and some calamari. Along with that were four servings of corn on the cob with barbecue sticks pierced through their centers. A cup of crab sticks and potato salad sit front and center while the others fan out like an orchestra in front of its maestro. The batter-covered fish was nothing spectacular, the fried tempura was tasty albeit not that exciting. What got me was the combination of the crispy calamari rings dipped with tartar sauce. The crunch echoes as I get to taste the tangy trait of the sauce, paired with the perfectly cooked squid that yields impeccably to the gnaw of one's teeth. I couldn't help but surreptitiously reach out for another bite continuously, all while trying to maintain the balance of sating my craving for this and finishing off my steak.